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Side Traveller Repair Funding Project

Side Traveller Repair Funding Project

Restoring motion to our 19th-century Side Traveller

We have successfully completed essential conservation and repair work on the historic small Side Travelling machine at The Historic Dockyard Chatham, safeguarding this rare and fully working piece of industrial heritage for future generations.

Built around 1840, the Side Traveller remains in daily use in the Dockyard’s Ropeyard, producing rope between 16–32mm in diameter for maritime use and a wide range of modern applications, from theatres and gyms to staircases and heritage vessels. Unlike many historic machines, it is not a static exhibit but an active part of living production, representing nearly two centuries of continuous craftsmanship.

With ropemaking listed on Heritage Crafts’ Red List of Endangered Crafts, maintaining this machinery is critical to preserving both the equipment itself and the specialist skills required to operate it.

The completed project addressed urgent and time-sensitive mechanical repairs required to ensure the Side Traveller’s continued operation. The works were managed in-house by the Trust, ensuring a conservation-led approach throughout, with specialist engineers Bearingtech Ltd appointed to carry out the mechanical elements of the project.

During the Dockyard’s closed season, the machine was fully dismantled to allow for detailed inspection, repair and sympathetic replacement of worn components. The most significant element of the work was the replacement of the main transmission bronze crown wheel. The original gear was fully patterned, enabling the casting and installation of a new bronze gear that has now restored the Traveller’s drivetrain to safe and reliable working order.

Inspection of the steel pinion gears revealed them to be in remarkably good condition for a machine of this age. These were carefully machined to match the new bronze gear, ensuring the rebuilt mechanism performs as originally intended. New bronze bushes were also produced and hand-finished to respect the machine’s original hand-built character.

Following reassembly and testing, the Side Traveller has now been fully recommissioned and returned to operational use.

Ropery Side Traveller
Ropery Side Traveller

Recording the machine for future generations

Alongside the mechanical restoration, we delivered an extensive archival programme led by its conservation and heritage engineering volunteers. During the repair period, every part of the machine, including hooks, bearings, shafts and fittings, was labelled, photographed and digitally scanned in 3D.

This work has created a comprehensive physical and digital record of the Side Traveller, supporting accurate future restorations and enabling more efficient long-term maintenance. Selected components and records will be made available through the Trust’s Collections Online platform, ensuring this important industrial heritage is accessible beyond The Historic Dockyard Chatham.

This rare opportunity, unlikely to occur again for several decades, has preserved vital knowledge about the design and construction of the machine, helping to safeguard ropemaking skills for the future.

With thanks to our supporters

This project represents the first public fundraising campaign dedicated specifically to the Ropery Side Traveller and would not have been possible without the generous support of:

We extend sincere thanks to all those who supported the project. Thanks to their generosity, the Ropery Side Traveller has been returned to full operation, safeguarding an exceptional piece of industrial heritage and an endangered craft for generations to come.

Ropery Side Traveller

Other ways to show your support

We are proud that we generate significant income from our operations and trading functions but we do require funding to enable us to manage our huge maintenance burden and maintain excellence in all the museum and learning services we provide.

There are a number of ways in which you can support us:

Support our latest projects

Discover more about our latest projects and our past successes.

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Leave a gift in a will

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Sponsorship

Become a sponsor

We offer partnership opportunities across the site and for various events held throughout the year.

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Volunteer

There are over 300 volunteers involved with us here at The Historic Dockyard Chatham donating over 35,000 hours of their valuable time each year.

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Buy a ticket for an event

We host significant fundraising events each year. By purchasing tickets to these events, you are supporting our fundraising efforts.

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